Man City push for player swap deal in bid to land €45m-rated Barcelona ace

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Man City have reportedly continued to push to include Joao Cancelo in their offer to try and prise Nelson Semedo away from Barcelona this summer.

The Portuguese ace joined City from Juventus last year, but has gone on to make 24 appearances so far this season as he has struggled to establish himself as a permanent figure in the starting XI under Pep Guardiola.

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That in turn has seemingly led to doubts over his future at the Etihad, with the reigning Premier League champions being linked with a move for Barcelona’s Semedo to offer them another option at right-back instead.

According to Sport, talks are progressing over City prising Semedo away from the Catalan giants, and it’s suggested that it is becoming increasingly likely that a swap deal offer involving Cancelo will materialise.

It’s added that Semedo is valued at €45m by Barcelona and so there is still a negotiation that’s required over how much money will also be included in Man City’s offer along with Cancelo.

Nevertheless, it certainly sounds like the situation is moving in a positive direction as far as the two clubs doing business, while it’s a deal that would arguably suit all parties concerned.

Semedo, 26, has featured 29 times so far this season for Barcelona, but he has at times found himself on the bench having struggled to fully convince that he’s the long-term solution at right-back with Sergi Roberto filling in on occasion.

If Barca believe that Cancelo is a more capable option in that department, the touted swap deal makes sense. Further, Sport note above that Semedo was considered untransferable last summer but they are now seemingly willing to listen to offers. In turn, it sounds as though City could be edging closer to securing a deal ahead of next season but much will still hinge on if they can agree on the fee also included in their offer.

Given the potential financial impact of the coronavirus crisis on the summer transfer market too, swap deals will perhaps become more prevalent this summer with clubs less inclined to splash out big fees and so a Cancelo-Semedo swap could be appealing to both parties.

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